Clarifying comments he made last week that implied he supported gay marriage, Texas governor Rick Perry said Thursday that "gay marriage is not fine with me."

He said that while he does not support gay marriage, he believes in a state's right to decide on that issue.

"I probably needed to add a few words after that ‘it’s fine with me,’ and that it’s fine with me that a state is using their sovereign rights to decide an issue," said the Texas governor during an interview with Family Research Council's president Tony Perkins.

Speaking at an July 23 event held by the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colo., Perry had shared his opinion on the newly passed same-sex marriage law in New York stating, "That’s New York, and that’s their business, and that’s fine with me."

His remarks prompted a critical response from former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum who took to Twitter to blast his fellow social conservative.